The cocoon disintegrates and the butterfly is free to spread her wings and begin anew. The old is gone; the new has come.
Romans 6:1-4
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
The newness of life, as promised in Romans 6, is filled with promise, hope, purpose, and a fresh start. It is the more pleasant aspect of our transformation process. However, it is impossible to have new life without death.
We die to sin and no longer live in it. We die to self and no longer live according to our own desires. We die with Christ in baptism, uniting with Him in His death. To say that we are buried with Him into death allows the power of the resurrection to take place.
Death happens in order that life may happen.
And while our initial death is seen in the waters of baptism, Romans 12:1 (which we will explore tomorrow) illustrates that we are living sacrifices. And you know the problem with a living sacrifice? It can just get up off the altar anytime. We have to daily choose to die to self in order that we might fully live the new life in Him.